William h



(No Model.)

W. H. SIMMONS.

SPRING VEHICLE.

No. 858,227. Patented Feb. 22, 1887.

journals.

UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. SIMMONS, OF SYRACUSE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO PHINEAS S.BADGER, OF AUBURN, NEW YORK.

SPRING-VEHICLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 358,227, dated February22, 1887.

Applicntion filed November 27, 1886. Serial No. 220,050. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. SIMMONs, of Syracuse, in the county ofOnondaga and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements inCarriages and Vagons, of which the following is a specification.

The aim of niyinvention is to provide for the employment of an ellipticspring in combination with an axle in such manner that the top of thespring shall stand at a lower level than when applied in the ordinarymanner, the object being to bring the body as nearly as practicable tothe level of the axle of the wheel.

To this end the invention consists in providing the axle with an offsetor projection on one side, and in securing the lower member of anelliptic spring to the under side of this projection, as hereinaftermore fully explained. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation ofthe construction in its preferred form, the ends of the axle beingcranked or bent upward. Fig. 2 is aplan v1ew showing the manner in whichthe spring Is connected to the axle. Fig. 3 is a top plan View showing amodified form ofthe same. Fig. 4 is an elevation of a straight axlehaving the lateral projection. Fig. 5 is a vertical crosssection on theline as w of the preceding figure.

Referring to Fig. 1, A represents a continuous solid metallic axle,having its middle portion bent downward below the level of the At themiddle of this axle a block, B, of metal, wood, or other suitablematerial, is secured firmly to its side by means of through-bolts A andan encircling clip, I), or other suitable fastening'devices. Drepresents an ordinary elliptic spring having its lower member seatedagainst the under side of the block or projection. B, and secured firmlythereto by clip-bolts -c. In this manner the spring is supported at itsmiddleand in a vertical plane on the side of the axle at the middle ofthe latter. Instead of securing the block B to the axle, as in thepreceding example, it may be forged solidly upon and integral with theaxle, as shown in Fig. 3.

In Fig. 4 I have represented an axle which is straight-that is to say,without upturned ends-but with a downwardly-extending arm at its middleto support the block B, to which the spring is secured, as shown inFigs. 4 and 5, by clip-bolts, in substantially the same manner in whichit is fastened in the preceding form. form of the axle, as in theothers, the lower bolt of the spring is supported below the ends of theaxle, the spring and the axle being connected at the middle, and thespring standing in an erect position at the side of the axle, thesedetails not being of the essence of the invention.

I am aware that an elliptic spring has been secured to the side of anaxle bya plate lying against the under side of said axle. It is to beobserved that in my construction the springsupporting block is dropped aconsiderable distance below the ends or journals of the axle,whereby Iam enabledto bring the top of the spring in substantially the samehorizontal. plane as the journals of the axles, and thus to avoid thesevere strains to which the spring is subjected, and its tendency to tipforward and backward, which exists when the spring is carried above theends of the axle, as usual.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. An axle havingat its middle alateral block or projection located materially below theends of the axle, in combination with an elliptic spring having itslower member se cured midway of its length to said block or projection,whereby the top of the spring is brought approximately on a level withthe ends of the axle.

2. The axle A, having the depressed middle portion with the lateralblock or projection thereon, in combination with the elliptic springextending lengthwise of the axle at its side, with its lower membersecured centrally to the under side of the block.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand, this 16th day of November,1886, in the presence of two attesting witnesses.

WILLIAM H. SIMMONS.

\Vitnesses:

0. WM. PHILLIPS, FRANK MORGAN.

It will be observed that in this

